The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 15

dream of WBC crown over 15 Holmes batters All for 10 rounds LAS VEGAS, Nev. (UPI) Once they cheered every move he ttfitde. The fans he captivated for three decades could find no wrong 1JJ tyluhammad Ali. Thursday night, as it became apparent the legend had come to an end, that Ali had fought his last battle in a ring, they booed him and his pathetic performance. And long after Ali's cuts and bruises heal, he will still feel the pain of those "Boos.

"''His friends and enemies told him to Some pleaded with him not to try and'come back after a two-year layoff. THtfy begged him to accept the fact that his once enormous skills had van. that he might get hurt. But Ali, and the ego still at their didn't listen to the words. End of an era Finally, in a city that has seen hun- dretis of headliners reduced to club acts, Larry Holmes told Ali in the only words he understands that it was over.

14 The' era had come to an end. It'ended after 10 rounds when Angelo Dundee, Ali's chief handler, refused to let Ah', his eyes swollen to a horrible purple color, come out for the llth round. Holmes battered the 38-year-old Ali from the first round en route to a victory that left him with his World Boxing Council heavyweight champion. Ducking the few punches Ali bothered to throw, Holmes hurt Ah' in the, seventh with five straight punches. Iiv eighth, the thundering punches from Holmes continued to find their on Ali's face as the three-time champion lay against the ropes.

In the ninth, the round Ali had dieted he'd knock Holmes out, behind will be mine by nine," he had said) Holmes opened up with both battering a badly bruised Ali against the ropes with punishing rights and lefts. The beating continued in the round, but still, despite Ali's sagging legs and apparent inablity to pro- many people still beh'ev- The celebrity-filled crowd of 24,000 at Sports Arena at Caesars Pal" ace: waited for him to come bouncing off the ropes with a blistering barrage of punches aimed at Holmes. They expected Ali, who had played opossum so many times, to smile and come out But it never happened. As Ali struggled back to his corner at the end of the 10th round, Dundee, his longtime trainer and friend, signaled that there would be no more. There was a brief argument between Dundee and Bundini Brown and Herbert Muhammad, Ali's other cornermen.

Brown and Muhammad believed, also, that Ali could come up with another miracle. They couldn't believe it could end like that. Fairy tales never do. But, Dundee and common sense prevailed, and referee Richard Green raised Holmes' arm in triumph as Ali remained slumped motionless on the wooden stool. He did not argue.

Finally he had learned what many others before him including Joe Louis, Jack Sharkey, Jack Dempsey all learned. Old Man Time does not give in to anyone. When the shock had worn off, Holmes walked slowly into a news conference. Finally rid of the shadow of Ali, Holmes could have been expected to be bursting with happiness. Holmes saddened But Larry Holmes was saddened by the outcome.

"We all come and we all go," Holmes said slowly, "and I'm sure Larry Holmes won't be around forever, either. When you have to fight a friend and a brother and you do what you have to do, you don't feel too good about it. I just did what I had to do. And when it was over, I went to his corner and told him, 'I love you, and if you need me, just call me and I'll be Holmes, now 36-0, then said what everyone who witnessed the fight suspected. "I felt I hurt him a few times and I pulled back," Holmes said.

"But I'll tell you one thing, I hit him with some punches that no one else who has ever fought me could take. He tried to sneak that right hand in on me and use the left hook, but he found out early that it wasn't going to work. "It was a sad night, a night I'm sure people will remember for a long time." For Holmes, it was the eighth successful defense of his WBC title and it ended the way the other seven did by knockout. But without question, Holmes will remember his fight against Muhammad Ali long after the others have faded from memory. Ali was taken to his hotel room immediately after the fight, and did not appear before the news media.

Ali vows to return, seek the WBA title VEGAS, Nev. (UPI) Muham- Ali, in his first interview after suf- an llth round TKO at the hands of WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes Thursday night, vowed Friday that "I shall return" and said he may -go after the WBA title held by Mike Weaver. Ali, wearing sun glasses and speaking on ABC's Good Morning America program, indicated he wasn't through with fighting yet, despite Thursday night's fight in which Holmes battered him at will. "Weaver has the WBA title, which is my title," said the three-time heavyweight champion. "I lost in my attempt to get the WBC title.

We may go back and try for some other title. As MacArthur said, 'I shall return'. They wrote me off after Frazier. They wrote me off after Norton. They wrote me off Spinks.

They wrote me off after the draft. Don't write me off." As for a rematch with Holmes, Ali seemed to shy away from that. "I don't want to say that right now," he ddded. "We're gonna have to think about it. But as I said I was going for half the title.

There's another half WBA. I might try for that. I don't know yet." Ah', 38, who lost approximately 50 pounds for the bout to come in at pounds, blamed the sudden weight loss for his poor showing. He had not been that light since upsetting George Foreman six years ago in Zaire to take the title for a second time. "Something's wrong," he said.

"I tried to do my best. My punches weren't getting off and my reflexes weren't working. There were two things that bothered me. It's the weight loss not that I'm too weak or too old. You talk about 30.

That's not really old. It's not the age, I'm sure. It's the weight loss. Despite the beating he took, Ah' said he felt "pretty good." 1 Snappy Photo DRIVE-IN 1009 East Crawford COPY PRINTS 2 Made From Polaroid Photos, Snap Shots or Wallet Size Photos. Maximum Original Size x5.

COUPON MUST ACCOMPANY ORDER VOID AFTER ONE WEEK We use Kodak for a good look. Hours: Monday thru Friday 11:00 A.M. to 5:30 A.M. Saturdays 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

UPI Photo END OF AN ERA-Heavyweight champion victory Thursday night while Muhammad Larry Holmes parades around the ring in Ali (right) still sits in his corner, unable to answer the bell for the llth round. Yonks clinch share of East By United Press International Reggie Jackson, who annually rediscovers his adrenalin in the month of October, says his 40th home run of the season his third in three games puts him right on schedule for the American League playoffs. Jackson hit a towering drive to right- center field Thursday night to lift the New York Yankees to a 3-2 victory over Detroit, clinching at least a tie for the American League East title. The victory gave the Yankees a three-game lead over Baltimore with three games to play. Any New York victory or Oriole defeat would send the Yankees into the American League championship series for the fourth time in five years.

Jackson's homer directly followed Oscar Gamble's solo smash that highlighted a big fourth inning for the Yan- Sports The Salina Journal kees and gave Ron Guidry, 17-10, enough of a cushion to record his fourth consecutive triumph. "I feel good, but I still have a touch of the flu," Jackson said. "I'm glad there's three games to go and we only need to win one." Jackson's 40th homer tied him for the league lead with Milwaukee's Ben Oglivie and marked the second time in his career that he has hit at least 40 in a season. It was even more satisfying because of a September slump in which the powerful left-hander hit just three homers. "I realize that I was not very good in September, but that's over," Jackson said.

"I never said I'd hit 40 homers. I just said I had a good shot at it. When I wasn't going good, I was determined to be a man, be a professional and do the job." Yankees manager Dick Howser put it more simply. "September is gone. It's October, and this is his time." Gamble hit his 14th homer of the season, but he was even prouder of a snake dance he performed to avoid getting hit by a line drive off Jackson's bat.

Detroit manager Sparky Anderson protested the call and was ejected from the game. Gamble later scored the winning run on Bob Watson's sacrifice fly. "I was on first when Reggie hit the ball into the hole," Gamble said. "I tried to straddle the ball and I know it didn't hit me at all. I kept going all the way to third and then saw the argument.

The ump was right. It didn't hit me." In other games, Kansas City topped Seattle, 6-2; Boston downed Toronto, 41; Chicago beat Oakland, 9-4, and Minnesota swept a doubleheader from Texas 6-3 and 4-1. Baltimore was idle. AAcRae's double sparks Royals KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI) Hal McRae's bat may not be made of gold any more but it is no longer made of lead, either.

The Kansas City designated hitter, who finished one point away from an American League batting title in 1976, had struggled at the plate in recent seasons because of a variety of injuries but appeared to have regained his touch this season. He carried a .300 average into the month of September. But his bat suddenly turned to lead last month with his average plummeting more than 20 points. But with the American League playoffs less than a week away, McRae is again waving a magic wand. McRae drilled a three-run double in the third inning off Floyd Bannister (913) Thursday night to send his Royals off on a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

George Brett and Jose Cardenal also contributed sacrifice flies to help Kansas City starter Renie Martin even his record at 10-10. "I found out tonight all I have to do is wait," said McRae. "Before I was so screwed up. You get anxious and don't necessarily swing at the pitches you want to swing at. But I've got time up there.

The pitcher has to come to me. "Up until three weeks ago I was swinging good. I was at .314. But then the (Western Division) race ended and I lost my concentration. I started to go bad.

What am I hitting now, I couldn't pick a better time to get it back. The confidence is there again." The victory was the third straight for the Royals after an eight-game losing streak and enabled Kansas City to win the season series from the Mariners, 7 games to 6. It was also Seattle's 100th loss of the season. Brett was hitless in two at bats to drop to .389, virtually ending his bid to become baseball's first .400 hitter since 1941. The Kansas City third baseman would have to get 10 hits in 13 at bats over the final three games of the season to reach .400.

Martin scattered five hits over innings for his first win since Sept. 18. He walked four and struck out one but was touched for two unearned runs in the seventh when shortstop Onix Con- cepcion booted a two-out ground ball, allowing both Larry Cox to score from third base and Joe Simpson from second. Allen 2b Croig ph Simpson rf LRoberts li Bochte Ib Beniquez cf Horton ph Miibourne ss Wollon dh JAndersn ss Stein ph PocioreK cl F.dler 3b Meyer ph LCoxc Norron ph Totals SEATTLE abr 3 0 0 bi 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 KANSAS CITY ob 4 2 2 0 Wilson II Cordenol rf Hurdle GBretl 3b McRae dh Wathon Aikens Ib Terrell pr LoCock Ib Otis c( Chalk 2b White 5b 0 0 000 000 0 2 1 0 0 1 Concepcin ss 3 Mulliniks ss 100 33 2 6 0 Totalt 32 6 8 5 Swttle 000 000 200 2 KantaiCity 004 010 lOx 6 Anderson. Concepcion, Edler 2.

DP Kansas City I. IOB Seattle Kansas City B. 2B Otis, McRae, Walton. SB Simpson. SF Cordenal.

Brett. Bannister (L 9-13) Heaverlo R. Anderson Kansas City Martin (W 10-10) K. Brett Quisenberry IP ER BB SO IV, 1 WP Bannister. PB I.

Cox. 2:23. A 15.241. Schedule set for AL playoff in KC KANSAS CITY The first two games in the American League Championship Series will be played in Kansas City next Wednesday and Thursday. Game No.

1 will be played at 2 p.m. Wednesday with Game No. 2 at 7:15 p.m. Thursday. Some confusion was created when Royals' fans received playoff tickets which did not specify the day or time of the games but only whether the tickets were for Game No.

1 or Game No. 2. The final games in the best-of- five series will be played at the home town of the Eastern Division champion. i COUPONi i CASH FOR YOUR BLACK WALNUTS! QO per lOOIbs. Bring your Black Walnuts to any Mammons Hulling Station listed below.

They'll hull them for you free and pay you the highest price ever: $8.00 per 100 Ibs. after hulling. Pick up your black walnuts and hurry! Hulling starts Oct. 1 Miller's Market SOO H. OUt St.

Sallu, KS KANSAS WESLEYAN A NEW SERVICE FOR ADULTS Computer Assisted Planning Personal use of Micro-computer with printout of individualized assessment of interest and abilities. Interview with trained advisor. BY APPOINTMENT: A.M. Monday-Friday Mondays 7 to 9 P.M. COST: 1 11 i INTRODUCTORY OFFER PRICE Bring this coupon to Kansas Wesleyan for Special Introductory price of $12.50 for Computer-Assisted Planning.

I Call Vince Landau, Director of the Kansas Wesleyan Planning Center, 827-5541, Ext. 246..